Fluid Inflow Fails To Fill Simple Tank Depending On Position In Tank
I had posted this question on blenderartists.org a week or so before posting it here.  I just received a particularly good answer from the fluid sim coders themselves.  You can read their response in the link below.

In summary, this is a known limitation of the fluid simulator.  They discuss the low-level details and propose possible modifications to the simulator code.  In the meantime, fluid inflow objects generally should not be submerged, and (I gather) should also not be at an elevation lower than the final fluid level of something they are intending to fill (even if they are outside the vessel to be filled). Of course, this all depends on the level of accuracy of the simulation you are after.

Here's the link.

https://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?410338-Fluid-Inflow-Fails-To-Fill-Simple-Tank-Depending-On-Position-In-Tank